WPSBC Strategic Plan 2013 2020

WPSBC Strategic Plan 2013 – 2020

September 17, 2013 * * * * * Introduction: This document is organized around the standard strategic planning conventions of broad goals for the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children for the years 2013 through 2020. Following most goals are tactics that are prescriptive in form, which is not often included in a strategic plan. The successful attainment of the goals may occur without all tactics being implemented. Moreover, the fiscal impact of each tactic is unclear due to limited knowledge of new, available funding streams, the unknowns of any shared expenses in whatever partnership agreements might be executed, etc. Therefore, the implementation of any particular tactic will be depend on availability of resources and administrative and Board discretion. The School will implement various metrics to gauge success of goal attainment and substantiate need for revision of the plan, if necessary.

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Mission Statement: The Mission of the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children is to be a leading educational facility and Outreach provider. The School offers a full range of exceptional individualized special education services fostering maximum independence for students with visual impairment, including blindness and other challenges, and provides support and resources to families and the community.

Vision Statement: Fully committed to providing training for children and youth who are blind and disabled by additional serious conditions, the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children aspires to become a widely recognized educational leader which is capable of using emerging technology in delivering effective and meaningful programs which contribute to the development of the whole student. The School holds fast to the conviction of flexibility in meeting new challenges inherent with the ever changing needs of its students and their families.

I. Student Achievement

Middle States Action Planning: During the 2012-2013 school year, the School embarked on an accreditation self-study through the Middle States Association of Middle States Association – Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. The accreditation protocol selected, “Accreditation for Growth”, is specifically designed to be strategic in nature and complement other strategic planning efforts. The accreditation process and self-study culminated in an Action Plan detailing student achievement goals and the actions necessary to meet the goals within the 2013-2020 time span. The Action Plan is herein incorporated by reference. The goals are listed below for ease of reference.

a. By the 2020, students receiving services from WPSBC professionals, including students enrolled at the main campus and those in Outreach programs, will increase IEP goal attainment as measured by:

i. Targeted Goal: 80% of students receiving services from WPSBC professionals, including students enrolled at the main campus and those in

1 Outreach programs will increase IEP goal attainment to 90% in the aggregate b. By the year 2020, all students transitioning from the School, whether graduating to secondary placements or moving to their Local Education Agencies, will achieve competencies to be successful in their respective placements as measured by:

i. Targeted Goal: By 2020, 100% of WPSBC students, as per parent choice, will have a post secondary placement in supported employment adult training facilities, ICF/ID, group home, or other adult programs and will have maintained their placements for at least three years. c. WPSBC students will be better prepared for life beyond graduation by:

i. Targeted Goal: Students who have Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSPs) will, in the aggregate, achieve 80% of their behavior goal(s) as written in the Individual Education Program (IEP). d. Students diagnosed with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) (Phase I, II, or III) will demonstrate improved visual functioning as measured by The CVI Range or other substantive evaluation methods in the aggregate baseline.

i. Targeted Goal A: 80% of students in Phase I or Phase II will improve a minimum of 1.0 along the CVI Range annually, in the aggregate.

ii. Targeted Goal B: 80% of the students in Phase III will continue annual progress in visual function as they approach a maximum score on The CVI Range. e. During the school year 2013-2014, a broadly representative, school-wide curriculum committee will review the functional life-skills curriculum models in use throughout the school or develop integrated curricula, based upon best practice, current research, and state standards that best provide a consistent focus toward independent functioning in post-school settings for the variety of students served by the school.

Additional Goals Impacting Student Achievement f. Goal: Instructional time will increase by one full week to provide greater opportunities for students to achieve their IEP goals.

Tactic:

2016-2020

1. Beginning with the Extended School Year (ESY) for 2016 and continuing thereafter, ESY will be increased by one week, comprising three full weeks of instruction.

2 II. Safety and Security

a. Goal: By the conclusion of the 2013-2014 school year, WPSBC will have implemented all priority recommendations detailed in the School Security Assessment Final Report that National School Safety and Security Services issued in January, 2013.

b. Goal: All additional recommendations contained in the School Security Assessment Final Report will be implemented by the conclusion of the 2015-2016 school year.

c. Goal: An organization-wide safety and security review will be conducted by the conclusion of the 2018-2019 school year, to include but not be limited to safety and security needs of Outreach providers.

i. Any priority recommendations detailed in the above review will be completed by the Spring of 2020.

Note: The School Security Assessment Final Report is incorporated by reference in this strategic plan but is not detailed herein, in the interest of safeguarding students and staff as school security efforts are being enhanced.

III. Instructional and Therapeutic Programs

a. Goal: Provide hippotherapy (also known as equine-assisted therapy) services to students who would benefit by the conclusion of the 2014-2015 school year.

Tactics:

2013-2014

1. Establish a committee composed of pertinent staff to identify best practices in the provision of hippotherapy, to include but not be limited to: assessment methods to determine student benefit, student and staff safety considerations, and protocols for therapeutic services.

2. Administrative review of available service providers in the area as well as available sites to operate a hippotherapy program.

2014-2015

1. Receive recommendations from committee members and determine course of action for service provision (WPSBC-operated program or contracting with current service providers).

2015-2016

1. Begin providing hippotherapy services to students. If WPSBC owns and operates the hippotherapy program, provide information and outreach opportunities for other educational and non-profits organizations to participate on a space-availability basis.

3 2020

1. If WPSBC operates the hippotherapy program, increase our student and outreach usage to a level that maximizes student benefit while operating the program as close as possible to cost neutrality.

b. Goal: Provide services year-round to adult graduates who have no other suitable options for adult placement.

Tactics:

2013-2014

1. Expand post-graduate programming from 4 days a week for 10 months to 4 days a week for 12 months.

2014-2015

1. Expand post-graduate programming to accept previous graduates and other adults with complex needs below the age of 25 on a space availability basis and without economic hardship to current participants and future graduates.

2. Case management services provided to participants in anticipation of transitioning to another suitable adult service program upon the individual’s 25th birthday.

2015-2016

1. Expand post-graduate programming from 4 days a week to 5 days a week.

2. Waive age limit of 25 for current participants in post-graduate programming, if no other suitable adult placement options can be identified.

2016-2020

1. Gradually increase length of day to replicate placement in a full-time job (8 hours per day.

IV. Staff Development and Human Resources Management

a. Goal: The School will hire fully qualified and certificated staff in all positions involving student contact, without resort to emergency certification efforts available through the Pennsylvania Department of Education by the Fall of 2017.

Tactics:

2013-2020

1. The School will offer forgiveable educational loans on a competitive basis to current employees in non-represented positions for the purpose of obtaining

4 Teacher of the Visual Impaired (TVI) and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) certifications.

b. Goal: Improved employee morale and engagement will be demonstrated by biannual survey completion, with each successive survey reflecting demonstrable improvement in areas previously identified in need of focus.

Tactics:

2013-2014

1. The School will implement actions directed to address the following areas pertinent to staff engagement for review by the Board of Trustees and school staff: Development (Staff Development); Senior Management Relationships; (Inter) Departmental Relationships; and Employee Rewards and Recognition.

2015 and biannually thereafter

1. All employees will be provided a survey to assess outcomes in the above- referenced areas of human resources management with reported results shared with the Board of Trustees and school staff.

V. Parent and Family Support and Involvement

a. Goal: Parents will be provided with increased opportunities to learn techniques to promote student development and achievement.

Tactics:

2013-2014

1. Videotape all parent trainings provided at the School and notify parents of their availability via the School’s website.

2015-2020

1. Provide a full day of parent training regarding Cortical Visual Impairment on an annual basis.

2. Provide annual training for parents of newly enrolled students to become aware and knowledgeable of the curriculums used with their child.

3. An annual Parent-Staff Orientation Day will be conducted prior to the beginning of each school year so that parents and staff of students moving from one educational team to another may meet to aid a smooth transition.

b. Goal: External programs and services frequented by our families will be integrated into the School’s operation to the extent they don’t interfere with the School’s educational and therapeutic programs, so as to consolidate the total spectrum of services provided to students, reduce time in transit between the School and other service providers and maximize normal family relationships.

5 Tactics:

2013-2014

1. Canvas the parents to determine the outside service providers their children utilize and determine which may be integrated in the School’s operations, either during or outside the school day.

2. Provide general awareness opportunities of current programming that occurs on campus operated by external service providers (e.g., conductive education).

2014-2015

1. Determine which external service providers can be invited to campus to deliver services during or after-school hours.

2. Canvass parents to determine their interest in before- and after-school child care.

2015-2020

1. Pending results of before- and after-school child care query, offer services to parents on a cost-neutral basis.

VI. Outreach Services

a. Goal: The School will expand the variety of Outreach services to students with visual impairment in the public schools, as well as the number of students and families being served as evidenced by a 10% annual increase of students and families being impacted by Outreach services.

Tactics:

2014-2020

1. Implement a parent resource group that provides parents of students enrolled in the public schools with comparable training resources as parents of enrolled students, including training resources specific to CVI.

2. Organize Outreach activities and service delivery within the context of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).

2015-2020

1. Provide annual day camp experiences for students in the public schools that reinforce components of the ECC.

2. Provide at least one family weekend annually that reinforce components of the ECC.

2017-2020

6 1. Offer short-term placements to students enrolled in the public schools to supplement their school year educational program and/or serve as their ESY experience.

VII. Facilities and Grounds, including Transportation

a. Goal: By Spring of 2015, all student areas on campus will be completely accessible.

Tactics:

2013-2014

1. Investigate options to provide all-weather wheelchair accessibility on the meadow of the Mary Schenley Building.

2014-2015

1. Implement best available option with completion date of Spring, 2015.

b. Goal: Students will be safely and comfortably transported to an increasing number of school-related activities in the community.

Tactics:

2014-2015

1. Procure and put in service one or more vehicles to provide transportation for multiple students and staff to various activities in the community.

2. Investigate options for transporting students between WPSBC and off-site service providers immediately before or after school.

2015-2016

1. If deemed feasible, begin transporting students from and/or to off-site service providers.

c. Goal: Students will be safely transported back and forth between the JSB and MSB via an elevated, enclosed walkway, if deemed feasible.

Tactics:

2014-2015

1. A study will be implemented to determine the feasibility of constructing an elevated walkway between the JSB and MSB

2016-2017

1. If deemed feasible, the elevated walkway construction project will be completed. 7